Porter's World

Grid 16

Grid 16 is a rather under-appreciated flash game that not enough people know about. It offers some intense gaming moments and a unique twist on classic games that is sure to entertain anyone who takes the time to check it out. Simple controls, visuals, and goals, make this the perfect game to pick up and play on a lunch break.

Grid 16 plays in a very unique way, it’s actually 16 mini games tossed together to form one large game. The game will randomly jump between games after a set amount of time, and as you last longer, the speed at which the games are played increases. If you lose at a game, it takes it out of the 16 games you can play, and you’re left with the remaining games until there are none left. As speed increases and you get better at the games, so do the intense gamer moments that have you on the edge of your seat.

The strongest characteristic of Grid 16 is it’s casual gameplay. The ability to jump in and instantly play 16 mini games in just a few minutes gives a perfect experience for many casual gamers. Aside from the simple controls that are easy to pick up and get the hang of, all 16 games resemble basic mechanics seen in games time and time again, so players can instantly relate to what’s going on within seconds of seeing the game. It isn’t easy by any means, so competitive gamers get a challenge as well through the high score boards. Aside from it’s casual gameplay, the concept of flying between 16 different games at a face pace is entertaining in itself; it’s a unique gameplay mechanic that very few other games offer. A few other games such as Four Second Frenzy and Four Second Fury have used the same concept, but Grid 16 takes it a step higher with the increased speed mechanic and a few other minor tweaks.

As far as fast paced mini games go, Grid 16 is basically the best choice out there. It’s addicting, unique, and most important, entertaining. It doesn’t have all that much depth, but if you insist on getting on the high score boards you’ll have quite the task in front of you. If you find yourself reading this and you haven’t checked it out yet, give Grid 16 a play and help spread this under-appreciated flash gem.

Raider Episode 1

They just don’t make games like they used to, or do they? Some developers do indeed make them like they used to and Raider Episode 1 is proof. Raider Episode 1 looks and feels like an incredibly refined NES game. It offers incredible challenge, simple controls and tons of platforming goodness. In my opinion, Raider Episode 1 has definitely come the closest any flash game has ever come to delivering the challenge and feel of a a great classic NES game.

As I mentioned, Raider Episode 1 offers an incredibly challenging experience. It is by far too challenging for any casual flash gamer, but it delivers an experience unlike any other flash game on the net today. The level design is fantastic, the enemies simple, yet fun, and the distance between check points far enough to nearly drive you crazy, but close enough to keep you addicted and trying over and over when you die and start at the last one. The art is very retro, but refined to appeal to those who dislike pure 8-bit graphics, which is a smart move since I’ve found that points are often taken away in the public’s eye if you go too retro. The music is awesome and the sound effects incredibly retro and fitting. There are 3 difficulty modes for players to select, the easiest still being a bit too hard for casual flash gamers, and the hardest challenging the most hardcore NES veterans. For those who really desire a challenge, the game awards you a rank after completion which ranges from E to S, S being the best. This rank will be saved to your computer and read in when playing future installments of the game as well. Regardless of the difficulty selected, there is enough difficulty in this game to satisfy anyone with a thirst for challenge.

Unlike most NES games, Raider Episode 1 does in fact have a story. It’s going to be slowly introduced throughout five episodes. You play as Arkus Zei, a space pirate in need of some currency. Arkus is told of a rumor regarding a great ship filled with relics from a civilization that long ago destroyed themselves. Out of curiosity you pursue the coordinates you were told and indeed arrive upon a large ship. You must navigate this ship in search for relics and escape with the loot. You are armed with a close range sword and a long ranged blaster to defeat any threats you encounter. In addition to the default story, players will be able to see a slightly altered version of the story in the final installment, if their rank throughout all five episodes meets the requirements. The story is interesting enough and most will enjoy the additional content, and those who don’t can simply skip it. All in all it’s a nice addition that helps wrap up the package for this great game.

Overall there can’t be enough said to do this game justice. The game did suffer some rather low ratings on the net, but that’s unfortunately the result of developers holding the hands of players and making things too easy in modern day games. In the end, Raider Episode 1 is perfect for anyone looking to go back to the NES days or a great challenge, definitely give this game a fair play, you won’t regret it.

Drakojan Skies Acolytes

As many of my readers and friends may know, I’m a huge fan of RaidenX, a fan made flash tribute to the Raiden series.  There is however, another great game of it’s type, one that I enjoy just as much, if not more than RaidenX, that game is Drakojan Skies Acolytes.

Drakojan Skies Acolytes is a horizontal arcade shooter that rivals even the best of which arcades have seen. It has amazing graphics, an upbeat soundtrack, and very challenging, yet enjoyable gameplay. The game offers many characters and ships to choose from, and has 7 missions to play through. The game offers a Star Fox 64 style level layout, meaning you can beat mission one and go to either 2 or 3, and then branch again from there, ultimately ending up at mission 7. The missions range in difficulty greatly, and there is enough challenge for even the most hardcore arcade shooter fans out there, believe me, I just died on mission 6 after playing for a half hour. As you encounter enemies within the fast paced action, you can attack with your primary weapon, your secondary weapon which is a small bomb that explodes mid air below you when dropped, and lastly your special weapon. Both your primary and secondary weapon can be upgraded during gameplay as you encounter power-ups, and your special weapon can be upgraded between stages in the workshop using the points you’ve earned by defeating enemies. On top of all these great features, the game even comes complete with a few unlockables such as a new character, new ship, and some extra modes to play your favorite levels.

This game is admittedly not entirely suited for the flash game audience, that however means nothing on the quality of the game. It is significantly too hard for the average flash gamer out there, but I believe the developers simply stayed true to their original image and never eased on the difficulty just to please the majority. This is perhaps what hurt the game from becoming the next big flash hit on the internet, on the other hand those who appreciate it for what it is truly enjoy every moment of it.

The game excels in a number of ways, graphics definitely being one of those. Drakojan Skies Acolytes has some of the most impressive flash game graphics I’ve encountered to date. The characters are beautifully drawn, the textures and images professionally done, and the effects look spectacular. With very little additional work the graphics could definitely be suitable for an arcade cabinet launch. Aside from graphics, the game is very action oriented. There is never a slow moment or dull boss battle you can let your guard down on, the entire game is fast paced and loaded with activity. In addition to the great graphics and fast paced action, the music is definitely a plus as well. The music although scarce at times, is very suiting. The genres range from epic, to metal, which may sound odd at first, but amidst the action it certainly plays it’s role.

If you are in any way a fan of arcade shooters and haven’t played this yet, I strongly encourage you to give it a fair play through. If you happen to like the game enough, you can play Drakojan Skies Missions 1-3 for a bit more of the same great action. Overall I can’t really see anything to improve upon in this game, it’s perfect for what it is and has everything I look for when trying to go back and get the feeling that great arcade shooters have to offer.

Dolphin Olympics 2

Dolphin Olympics 2 is easily one of my favorite flash games of all time. It’s got one of the best balances of exploration, casual gameplay, as well as hardcore gameplay. The graphics are great and the controls are simple. This balance of traits is something every flash game should aim for, and there are few games that pull it off as well as Dolphin Olympics 2 does.

Exploration has always been an aspect of game design that I feel I give more credit to than most developers. There’s something amazing about beating an area of a game and waiting to see not only what happens next, but where next is. What enemies are there? What does the world look like? How is the music there? These questions drove me to play games as a child, as well as inspire me to develop games now. The exploration in Dolphin Olympics 2 is probably it’s strongest characteristic, most players don’t see it coming. You start off jumping around in the ocean with other small fish, but as you learn how the game works, you’ll quickly be jumping out of the water and into space, with enough skill that is. I was amazed when I saw the moon for the first time as I got high enough into the sky, never did I think the game would allow me to reach planets deep in space, nor did I think the amount of skill needed to do so possible. From the moment you see the moon for the first time, there is a certain thrill that drives you to keep going, “What’s next?” will be running through your head and a rush of curiosity and adrenaline will easily make you lose track of time. This feeling is powered by exploration, the need to see what’s next, to me, a key element in game design that is often never taken into consideration.

Another less known element, but increasing in popularity, is relaxation. To emphasize this point, we’ll  look at a popular video game company that’s been around forever, Nintendo. Believe it or not, Nintendo actually has plans to expand their market to target people looking for relaxation. They want to create games that serve the purpose of relaxing the player. During E3, Miyamoto spoke of games that would help you relax and fall asleep at night being in the near future. Although Dolphin Olympics 2 has been out for some time now, I believe such an element has already existed within the game. Perhaps not strong enough to put you asleep, but definitely to a point of relaxation. The simple controls, awesome sound effects, and casual gameplay, create a great atmosphere for anyone who doesn’t want to jump deep into a game and just wants to casually mess around with no real fixation on the game.

The game also stands out in it’s flexibility of both casual and hardcore gameplay. The game will at first to any player seem very casual, you jump around in the water and have a good time. However, as you get used to the gameplay, experienced gamers will quickly see there is a much larger goal at hand. It’s possible to gain momentum and reach incredible heights. This is perfect for both levels of gamers because the casual gamer doesn’t know such things exist, and therefore isn’t bothered with trying, while the hardcore player has a goal at hand that will challenge them indefinitely.

Overall, Dolphin Olympics 2 offers an amazing experience. The game has something to offer to nearly all players, something many games lack and lose a lot of players over. The game itself is oddly addicting and has players coming back even months later, which is very impressive for a flash game. Whether you feel like going for a swim, or stopping by the diner at the end of the universe, Dolphin Olympics 2 definitely has something for you to enjoy.

Don't Look Back

Don’t Look Back is one of the more impressive flash games I’ve seen come out of the industry as of late. It’s simplistic, casual, challenging, and best of all, retro. I think a lot of game designers can learn from what Terry Cavanagh has created here. Without any enormous complications, fancy features or amazing graphical effects, the game earns a very high spot in my top flash games list, as well as a high score on all the major flash portals.

At first glance, Don’t Look Back appears to be a remake of an unknown Atari game. It has retro graphics in the style of the Atari, which in my eyes is just great. The game itself drops you right into play, starting from the menu screen. You move around with the arrow keys and jump with UP (lefty controls also available, good move), you can also jump with Z. Very quickly you’ll receive a gun of sorts that you can fire with SPACE allowing you to fight off various enemies such as bats, snakes and other creatures. The main point of the game however, is to explore the land you find yourself dropped into. You press onward, continue your exploration for who knows what reason, at least upon the start. As far as stories go, Don’t Look Back has no dialogue or text presented message, it’s creatively done through a few images and a core gameplay element introduced later in the game. The ability to present such a powerful story with absolutely no audio or text is incredibly impressive. The maps are simple in style, yet challenging, even to an advanced oldschool gamer. The graphics although simple, definitely give a feel of exploration as I mentioned earlier. One of my favorite aspects of the game is exploration, I just wanted to keep going to see where I would be lead, I believe that’s a really strong feature for a game to have, especially a platformer. The game offers a few boss battles to spice things up and really challenge your gaming skills. The added gameplay mechanic at roughly 2/3 of the way through the game and ending plot twist really bring it all together.

The graphics are very similar to that of the Atari’s graphics as previously stated. The game has a really good atmosphere due to small details as well as the accompanying audio. Retro styled rain drop effects and simplistic platforms create a world that really draws you in. The enemies have the most basic form of animation, which fits in perfectly with the overall feel of the game.  All the graphics are consistent throughout the game, and overall not a single piece of art looks any less impressive than the next.

The audio is quite possibly the game’s second strongest point next to gameplay. The strings melody that comes in after the perfect amount of purposeful silence is amazing. In my opinion it is this opening moment of the first audio track that gives the real feel of adventure and makes you feel in the game and not in front of a computer. The quality of the audio is flawless and the score itself equally on par. The sound effects are just as retro as the game, and if my ears serve me right may have been created using SFXR. There is without a doubt no lack of audio to be found in this game.

Overall this game brings a joy to me I only find in the classics on the NES and SNES. I fell in love with the game the moment I checked it out when it was still up for sale on flashgamelicense.com. I don’t think anyone can really experience the full joy of this game until they spend the neccacary time completing it themselves, but I hope my review can convince those reading who haven’t to do so. It’s a quick play, ranging from 15 minuts to over an hour if you get stuck on the bosses, but overall rather short and sweet. In the end I can’t see anything to improve upon with this game, it hit my soft spot for retro games and executed brilliantly, earning it a top spot among my favorite flash games of all time.

RaidenX

There’s been a ton of great flash games as of late, but something people often forget about are the classic gems of the flash world. RaidenX is an amazing game that was created as a tribute to the Raiden series. The original Raiden games can be found all over arcades around the world (or once could be, curse the decline of great arcade games, Street Fighter 4 aside) and was also ported for the Play Station 1.

RaidenX was created in mid 2005 and sponsored by CrazyMonkeyGames, (lucky them!) Since that day it has received over 11.5 million plays on CMG’s site alone, and continues to get attention as one of the greatest flash games of its time.

This game is all about quick action, something most people on the net need in order to stay entertained these days. From the moment you press play on the main menu you’re immediately tossed into the battle zone as Stage 1 starts. The controls are simple, “Z” to shoot and “X” to use your special. This kind of quick action is something that really adds to the value of a flash game. Most players are looking for casual play, something to jump into and play on a lunch break or during class at school when nobody’s looking; RaidenX is a perfect example of quick pick up and play action, yet still offers a save feature so you can complete the game over time if not in one sitting.

Aside from its easy controls and fast paced action, the game offers an expansive game-play with a decent number of levels and a nice twist that will catch some players off guard towards the end. The game offers nearly everything the original game offered: great weapons, awesome bosses, fast-paced action, and awesome music that brings back memories of many peoples’ childhoods. It also offers the ability to change difficulty between easy, normal, and hard, yet again keeping a large number of players happy.

Although the graphics may be considered only decent in current times, they still offer their own style and get the job done. We also have to keep in mind that the game was created using AS2 and optimization back then could only do so much. The visual effects on weapons and specials are still pretty impressive and give the player a feeling of accomplishment as everything on the screen is demolished. Bosses are animated, backgrounds scroll, and everything moves fast enough to stop you from focusing on the lack of detail on any given piece of art. Overall the art is still impressive and stays true to the feel of the original game.

The music in this game is something that really brings it to life. Although the quality lacks a bit due to file size restrictions, the songs are memorable and full of atmosphere. Sound effects can be found for every action you do, from menu selection to bosses exploding; it’s all there. With the large array of sound effects and music found in this game, I think it’s safe to say that the audio portion of this game is covered.

Overall RaidenX can easily be seen as a classic flash gem of 2005. It offers great game-play, awesome weapons, an amazing soundtrack, difficulty adjusting, and basically everything else a good game needs. If you’re one of the many who haven’t checked this out previously, and/or the 11.5 million views on one site alone haven’t yet convinced you that this game is great, go give it a play yourself; you won’t be dissatisfied.